The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-02
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EVERY WEDNESDAY, AT
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The Interstate Commerce BIZ.

7rs 3
The House will probably adopt the
Interstate Commerce bill to-day,
and there is no reason to doubt that
the President will sign it, and that it
will thus be very soon a part of the
law of the land. .... .........
We observe suggestion here and
there that some railroad corporations
will attempt to make the law odious
by their manner Of obeying it. We
suppose the ingenuity Of the railroad
managers, aided by tho ingenuity Of
highly paid lawyers, could contrive
to Inconvenience the public by their
treatment of the law. But we advise
railroad directors and managers not
to do this. 1t will be a mistake, and
it may turn out a very bad mistake
for them.
Our advice to the railroad corpo.
rations is to accept the measure in
good faith, to carry it out loyalty and
give all its provisions q fair trial,
and to show the public and Congress
that they are ready 10 help cure the
many abuses which undoubtedly ex.
ist in the transportation system Of
the country. The bill is not bad
measure. Some of its provisions
which have uecn strongly objected to
will, we believe, be generally accept.
ell by railroad men rs harmless and
wise after they have had fair trial.
Many Of the evils which the public
has justly complained Of are struck
ut by it, and ought to be.
No capable and honest railroad
manager denies in private that the
present system is SO utterly bad that
almost anything is better, and hard
ly anything can bo worse for the
railroads themselves. The bill for.
bids pooling, but what are pools ex-
ccpt prctcXts, promises, made to ''bc
broken by the least scrupulous roads?
And no honest railroad manager will
justify or defend the secret rebates,
special rates and other cut-throat or.
rangements which arc SO notorious.
One form Of pool is possible under
the provisions Of the bill, and this we
recommend to the corporations affect
Cd by it. They may meet together
and determine to carry out all its
provisions in good faith, and to sue
and bring to justice in every case
every road which violates them.
Such pool rs that the public would
welcome, and if it is formed and the
engagements we propose arc rigor.
ously carried out, we shall see, for
the first time in many years, the
business of railroading conducted
without trickery. 'rithout u constant
cut.throat game among rival routes,
and in way which will make an up.
right manager ashamed.
For ourselves wo have The greatest
hope Of good effects from those parts
Of the bill which command publicity
in rates and accounts. We should
have been willing to accept those
parts alone rs securing great reform
in railroad management. Thorough
publicity for all the business of a
corporation is on the whole the best
security the public can have that
these modern business monsters
shall not become dangerous to their
Va N"ooto' uoiiCl1J CHHUlcS puDllC
opinion to rally against their rcncroach-
mcnts, to condemn and punish their
misdecds and to enforce the peoples
rights against them. 1t is because
we believe that the public has II right
TO know in every detail what great
corporations do, and that being thus
informed the people will always be
their masters, that wo have urged
that the commission Of inquiry into
the Pacific railroad management
voted by the House shall have very
broad scope and large powers, shall
be highly paid and shall sit with
open doors. Wo hope the Senate
will amend the House bill in these
directions, and we warn the corpora.
tlons concerned that they would do
we'll to welcome such an inquiry, and
not secretly or openly to resist it.
AS to the estate Commerce
bill, such q measure ought to have
been passed long ago. If the pres.
cht bill is faulty Congress can amend
1t, as experience may show to be aG.
vlsable; but if the great transporta.
ton corporations whom it affects will
agree together to give it fair trial
we believe it will require but little
change hereafter.-NeaU York Herald,
jan. 2lSt.
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